Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
"Then," when the ungodly utter such blasphemies against God, the godly hold mutual converse, defending God's righteous dealings against those blasphemers (Hebrews 3:13). The "often" of English Version is not in the Hebrew. There has been always in the darkest times a remnant that feared God (I Kings 19:18; Romans 11:4).
feared the Lord—reverential and loving fear, not slavish terror. When the fire of religion burns low, true believers should draw the nearer together, to keep the holy flame alive. Coals separated soon go out.
book of remembrance . . . for them—for their advantage, against the day when those found faithful among the faithless shall receive their final reward. The kings of Persia kept a record of those who had rendered services to the king, that they might be suitably rewarded (Esther 6:1-2; compare Esther 2:23; Ezra 4:15; Psalms 56:8; Isaiah 65:6; Daniel 7:10; Revelation 20:12). CALVIN makes the fearers of God to be those awakened from among the ungodly mass (before described) to true repentance; the writing of the book thus will imply that some were reclaimable among the blasphemers, and that the godly should be assured that, though no hope appeared, there would be a door of penitence opened for them before God. But there is nothing in the context to support this view.
He notices the complaint of the Jews that it is of no profit to serve Jehovah, for that the ungodly proud are happy; and declares He will soon bring the day when it shall be known that He puts an everlasting distinction between the godly and the ungodly.
words . . . stout—Hebrew, "hard"; so "the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" (Judges 1:15) [HENDERSON].
have we spoken—The Hebrew expresses at once their assiduity and habit of speaking against God [VATABLUS]. The niphal form of the verb implies that these things were said, not directly to God, but of God, to one another (Ezekiel 33:20) [MOORE].
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Malachi 3:16:
Psalms 119:63
Ecclesiastes 9:5
Song of Solomon 2:14
Song of Solomon 6:1
Isaiah 65:6
Jeremiah 23:3-4
Malachi 3:7-12
Malachi 4:2
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Revelation 20:12
DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.
